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Emma Didlake
Emma Didlake (13 March 1904 – 16 August 2015) was an American supercentenarian whose age is currently unvalidated by the Gerontology Research Group. She was the oldest living American World War II veteran until her death on 16 August 2015 at age 110 or 111 (see below for the age issue). She served in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps. Early life Reportedly, Emma Didlake was born in Boligee, Alabama, USA in 1905. However, a recent research supports the possibility of Mrs. Didlake having been born a year earlier, in 1904.http://z3.invisionfree.com/The_110_Club/ar/t12392.htm At a young age, Didlake and her family moved to Kentucky, where she married a coal miner in 1922 and later stayed to raise her own family. Military career In 1943, when she was 38 years old and the mother of 5 children, Didlake enlisted in the WAAC. She told the San Antonio Express-News that she joined the Army because she "wanted to do different things." She served stateside as a private and a driver. For her service in World War II, Didlake earned the Women's Army Corps Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, and World War II Victory Medal. After service After leaving the service, Didlake and her family moved to Detroit, Michigan, where she lived until her death. Soon after moving to Detroit, Didlake joined the local NAACP chapter. In 1963, she marched alongside Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in Washington D.C. In 2013, Didlake was awarded the James Weldon Johnson lifetime achievement award at Detroit NAACP's 58th annual Freedom Fund Dinner. On 17 July 2015, at 110 or 111 years old, Didlake visited Washington D.C. on an honorary trip that included meeting President Barack Obama and touring historic monuments. The trip was organized and funded by Talons Out Honor Flight, a division of the Honor Flight Network. At their meeting in the Oval Office, Didlake sat in her wheelchair in the same spot where foreign leaders sit when they meet the president in the White House. President Obama praised Didlake for her "trailblazing" service as one of the female and African American veterans who helped to integrate the U.S. Army. Didlake attributed her longevity to a diet with a great deal of fruits and vegetables. Each day, she would also eat golden raisins that she had soaked in vodka overnight. Death and legacy About a month after visiting the White House, Didlake fell ill. She died in Detroit, Michigan, USA, on 16 August 2015 at 110 or 111 years old. She is survived by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. On 19 August 2015, President Obama issued the following statement to honour Didlake's death: "Emma Didlake served her country with distinction and honor, a true trailblazer for generations of Americans who have sacrificed so much for their country. I was humbled and grateful to welcome Emma to the White House last month, and Michelle and I send our deepest condolences to Emma’s family, friends, and everyone she inspired over her long and quintessentially American life." After Didlake's death, the oldest known veteran of World War II was Frank Levingston. References Category:Alabama births Category:American women in World War II Category:World War II veterans Category:Michigan deaths Category:African-American supercentenarians Category:United States births Category:United States deaths